Black History Month Marks 50 Years of Commemorating America's Racial Past

Historian Jim Wallis reflects on the evolution of Black History Month and the ongoing struggle against racism in the U.S.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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This February marks the 50th anniversary of Black History Month, which was first proclaimed by President Gerald Ford in 1976 as part of the bicentennial celebrations. The author, a white man who grew up in Detroit, reflects on how learning about Black history and the Black experience in America changed his own life story. He argues that the racism and injustice that sparked the Civil Rights Movement are still very much present today, and that Black History Month is a call to confront America's "original sin" of racism and white supremacy.

Why it matters

Black History Month serves as an important annual reminder of the systemic racism and oppression that Black Americans have faced throughout U.S. history, from slavery to the present day. As the author notes, the struggle for racial justice is far from over, and commemorating Black history is a crucial step towards reckoning with America's past and present-day realities of racism.

The details

The author recounts how as a white teenager in Detroit, he began to question the stark differences between the white and Black communities in his city. Through jobs and interactions with young Black men, as well as by attending Black churches, the author says he received a "lived and life-changing education" about the Black experience in America. He argues that the legacy of slavery, racism, and white supremacy did not end with the Civil Rights Movement, and that efforts to roll back civil rights for Black Americans are still ongoing.

  • Black History Month was first proclaimed by President Gerald Ford in 1976 as part of the bicentennial celebrations.
  • The author's controversial 1987 Sojourners magazine article, which stated that "The United States of America was established as a white society, founded upon the near genocide of another race and then the enslavement of yet another," sparked a wide class discussion that the author still encounters with his students today.

The players

Jim Wallis

The author of the article, a white man who grew up in Detroit and had his perspective on racism and the Black experience in America transformed through personal interactions and experiences.

Carter Woodson

The historian who first formed the idea of a Negro History Week in the 1920s, which later evolved into Black History Month.

Gerald Ford

The U.S. President who first proclaimed Black History Month in 1976 as part of the bicentennial celebrations.

Bryan Stevenson

The author of the foreword to Wallis' book "America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America," who has focused his work on mass incarceration and the death penalty as examples of the continued legacy of slavery and racism in America.

Donald Trump

The former U.S. President whose administration the author cites as an example of the ongoing efforts to roll back civil and human rights for Black Americans.

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What they’re saying

“Slavery didn't end in 1865, it just evolved.”

— Bryan Stevenson (America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge to a New America)

“The United States of America was established as a white society, founded upon the near genocide of another race and then the enslavement of yet another.”

— Jim Wallis, Author (Sojourners magazine)

The takeaway

Black History Month is a crucial annual commemoration that reminds all Americans of the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality. It is a call to confront the country's history of racism and white supremacy, and to commit to dismantling the systems and attitudes that continue to oppress Black Americans to this day.